Rated M for mature content. Please review and follow.


Something is different. Off. I am not where I once was. My ears are filled with beeping machines, people's voices, noises that sound nothing of the darkness or the woods.

A door clicked and my eyes flew open.

My pupil's dilated as I scrambled to take everything in. No basement. No forest. No darkness. A hospital. I lifted my right arm. My tattered clothes were gone, replaced with a hospital gown and there was an IV in my veins.

My eyes roamed to the front of the room. Standing by the door was one man and one woman. Straight away my eyes found their badges.

Coppers. What would they believe of my story? I didn't know if I even believed it.

Both of them hesitated. Time ticked on before the woman, a blonde with green eyes slowly stepped forward.

"Hello, my name is Emma Swan and this…" She gestured to the male with short, sandy hair and a matching colored scruff and blue eyes, "Is David Nolan. We are both sheriffs of the Storybrooke Police Department.

Storybrooke? Where the hell was I?

"We would like to ask you a few questions if that's alright with you." The blonde spoke softly as she and her partner pulled up chairs to my bed, but were wise to keep their distance.

I stayed quiet. Watching them. Scrutinizing them with my gaze.

"Can you tell us your name?" The man asked quietly, but I did not answer.

More silence.

"Why should I trust you?" Cracking the silence. My throat felt dry, "No one ever cares about delinquents like myself. I learned that the hard way in the foster system." Narrowing my eyes at them.

There was pause before the blonde spoke, "I know what that feels like." She cracked a smile, "The only person you can trust is yourself."

"You were in the system?" Questioning the truth of it.

She nodded, "My whole life. What about you?"

"I went in when I was eleven. The state took me out of my mother's care." My eyes glancing to the other side of the room, avoiding their faces.

"Why?" Her partner asked me.

"It's not important." Biting out as I began to close myself off.

"We want to help you. We will help you and I know you've heard that time and time again with no results but I promise you, one foster kid to another we will help you." Her words rang a truth within me. My gut told me to at least try. If it didn't work out I would run the first chance I got.

"Iris Blackwell. Twenty years-old, originally from Vermont but I cut out of the system at sixteen and lived on my own moving around a lot. I settled down in Andover, Maine when I was eighteen." Telling them.

"That's almost four hours south of here." David said. Shit. I was four hours away.

"What happened to you?" Emma gently asked.

I hesitated. The fear and doubt sticking in my throat.

"By my soul I swear, there is no power in the tongue of man to alter me." Speaking out loud.

The blond looked lost but her partner, David smiled, "Shakespeare, Merchant of Venice right?"

I regarded him with a curiosity, my guard dropping the slightest before nodding, "You know your British literature."

Pausing I sucked in some air but winced immediately from the pain in my ribs, "What I am about to tell you is no lie. It is no cry for attention, and nothing will make me recant my story for it is the truth. By my soul I swear."

"Three nights ago I was abducted from the streets of Andover and kidnapped by a man who called himself Drew. He came up behind me and dragged me into an ally. He drugged me and everything went hazy. I faintly remember being shoved into the trunk of a car. I tried to keep some sort of count on the time but I lost track. I never guessed I would be this far from Andover."

Letting my words sink in I waited to see a flicker of doubt flash across either of their faces. I waited but it didn't show itself.

"I must have blacked out because the next thing I remember is waking up in this cold, damp room. It was a basement of some kind…and my…my hands were held in shackles, chained to the wall." Looking down I saw my wrists for the first time. I mean really saw them.

The angry red and purple indentations screamed at me as I stared down at them. I tried to bend my wrists but flinched. The slightest movement caused pain to jolt into my body. Hesitantly I placed my right hand on my left wrist. The skin felt raw and cool, I was surprised there was not more damage. I struggled and fought against those shackles as much as I could before I gave up.

There was a cough as one of them cleared their throats. Out of insecurity I shoved my hands under the cover of the blanket before looking back at them.

"What happened in the basement?" David gently prodded.

Giving out a sigh, "I don't know how long I sat there chained like that before he came down. He descended down a set of stairs from a door that opened and led to the outside. I tried to position myself to see if I could make anything out as he came down the stairs but all I could tell was that it was before sunrise."

"You didn't know you were in the woods?" Emma asked as she took down notes.

I shook my head, "No, when he brought me to the house, or it was more like a cabin I suppose, I was still passed out. I only remember waking up chained in the basement. He came from the outside, shut the cellar doors and took out a set of keys. There was a padlock on the inside of the door and he locked it... me in, then turned on an overhead light." Explaining to them.

"Can you tell us what he looked like?" David opened his own notebook and was ready to jot away.

"Definitely older than thirty, but younger than forty-five. Maybe late thirties if I had to clearly define his age. White, well-defined muscles, he looked like he kept himself in shape. His eyes were a pale blue, almost grey. They were hard, and cold." Fidgeting with my hands under the blanket.

"His hair was like a light, golden brown. Sometimes in the light of the lamp it looked like a very dark blond, darker than your hair color." Gesturing to David, "He was clean, well-shaven. He looked…he…" Trying to fight the emotions creeping into me.

Emma stopped writing, "He looked like what?" Her tone was soft.

"Normal." My voice cracked in a whisper.

"Do you need to take a break?" David kindly asked, but I shook my head.

"No, you need this." Determination steadying me for the moment.

"You called him Drew?" Emma glanced down at her notes just to make sure.

"That's what he called himself." Nodding, "But he never gave a last name, he just said to call him Drew. That's the first thing he said to me, 'Hi, my name is Drew.' He said it kind of sweetly and all I could remember was feeling sick to my stomach."

"I asked why I was there, what he wanted, where I was. I pleaded with him to let me go. I promised I wouldn't tell anyone what happened if he just let me go. He just gave this short laugh, but it wasn't in a cruel way. Just he thought what I was saying was somehow funny to him. He said he had been looking for someone like me for a long time, and once he had what he wanted I was free to go."

My throat constricted. It was hard to swallow.

"Could I have some water please?" Asking either of them in a croak.

David quickly rose and went for the water pitcher near my bed; pouring me a glass with a straw. I felt self-conscious about showing my wrists but my thirst won out as I took cup from him.

"Thank you." Answering after a few greedy sips and rested the cup on the table by my bed.

There was a pause. I was worried about how the next part would sound, but my gut still pressed me to speak.

"He said I was special. That I could do things normal people couldn't, that he wanted my power, my ability. Once he had it I was free to go, but I had no idea what the hell he was talking about. I tried to tell him that I had no power, no special ability, that I was normal. I couldn't do anything special.

"At first he thought I was just being modest or something, but the more I tried to tell him that I didn't have anything he became irritated…that's when he began slapping me. Every time I denied my 'power' he would slap me again, harder and harder. I don't know how long he kept that up but when he stopped he said he would be back in the evening. He said he hoped it would go better then. Then he left. I was excited when I saw he didn't lock the door, until I heard him locking the door from the outside. I realized he had two sets of locks, one on the inside of the door, one on the outside. I sat there tugging on my chains until I began to cry." Stopping to force some air in my chest despite the pain in my chest.

"He came back that night?" Emma asked but they both knew the answer.

"Yes. He came back." Quietly responding.

"He asked me if I had changed my mind and if I was willing to cooperate. He talked so calmly, like the situation was so rational. I told him again and again I had no idea what he was talking about and that I couldn't help him."

Slowly I exhaled and stared up at the ceiling to keep my tears at bay, "That's when he brought out the board. He said since I wasn't willing cooperate of my own accord he was just going to have to change my mind the hard way. He screamed at me to lay down with my back on the floor as he brought out a two by four. He said I did this to myself as he raised the lumber and smashed it against my chest as I howled out in agony." Croaking out as two tears slipped out of my eyes.

Furious with myself I angrily wiped them away. This was no time for weakness.

"Every time he raised the wood he asked me over and over to give him my power. Every time I would answer I couldn't and pleaded with him to stop. I cried that I would give him what he wanted if I could. I counted a total of eight times he brought that lumber down on me before he stopped. I tried kicking him out of hatred but I didn't work all that well, and it was a pretty stupid move to do because he brought the board down on my left ankle before leaving the basement."

Covering my face with my hands I tried to hide the tears, "I don't know what he wanted from me. I would have given it to him if I knew what it was!" Sobbing out, hating myself.

"Iris look at us." I heard David.

Achingly I removed my hands from my face to look at them.

"This man is obviously very disturbed, this isn't your fault. It is his. And I promise you, when he is found justice will be served. You just need to remember that you are here, right now. You won even though right now it doesn't feel like it, but you won because you survived, and you are here now telling your story."

Leaning back onto my pillows I forced myself to even my breathing and to take in David's words. How I wanted to believe him.

"He came back on the third night of my abduction. He had been drinking I could smell the liquor on him. He came down and locked the door. He was quiet. For a long time he didn't say anything, and I didn't really care because I was in so much pain. Then he spoke, he believed that I was being insubordinate and purposely keeping whatever he wanted from him. He said he tried being nice but since that didn't work he was just going to take what he wanted from me."

Pausing I bit my lip to keep it from trembling as more tears fell down my face, "Did…the doctor that treated me, did he do a rape kit?" Rasping out, feeling the sharp ache in my ribs.

They were silent for a few moments, "Um, no, Dr. Whale did not." Emma quietly responded.

I squeezed my eyes shut in a pointless attempt to stop the tears, "He's going to want to." Crying, looking away from the both of them.

One of them handed me tissues which I took wordlessly. It took a minute for me to calm down.

"He didn't leave when he was done. He just sat there staring at me in a haze, lying on the cold floor in a heap of agony and tears. I turned away from him because I thought I was going to be sick if I had to look at him for one more minute. I don't know how long he was down there, but when I finally glanced at him again he had passed out. Then things get fuzzy." Racking my brain trying to remember.

"Fuzzy how?" Emma inquired. Her voice was soft.

"I have no idea. One minute I was in the basement but the next thing I remember is running away from the cabin. All I could think of was running, of getting away. I don't know how far I made it before I finally collapsed from hunger, pain, and dehydration. All I could think was 'well if I am going to die at least I can do it freely in the woods.' The next time I woke up was here."

"So you can't remember how you escaped?" David asked in a gentle inquiry.

I shook my head, "I don't remember anything after seeing him passed out in the basement. I think I might have reached and tried to take the keys off him and escape that way." Fishing for ideas, "I have no idea." Telling them honestly.

"It could be related to the trauma you suffered. You have been through so much, your mind just needs time to calm down and relax." Emma explained.

"The doctor needs to order the kit and get it done quickly before the evidence is gone." Creaking out as I wiped away more tears.

Emma and David stayed silent.

"Could I please be alone for a while?" Turning away from them to face the wall.

"Of course, we'll be back in a few hours, and we'll keep someone posted outside your door for your safety in case…" He trailed off.

In case Drew came back.

He didn't finish his sentence and the next sound I heard was the door opening and closing.

That's when the sobs came like a tidal wave and I didn't try to stop them.

Why did this happen to me?